Before coming to Living Room, the agency’s top producer consistently did $9 million a year, Isaacson says. “Now she’s doing close to $20 million.”

In keeping with its community-centered approach, the Living Room website has a blog format featuring stories from each agent about their clients. The company has also taken a storytelling approach to marketing individual homes. This past January, the company partnered with a local supper club to host a dinner at a West Hills home designed for entertaining. In October 2011, Living Room transformed another home into a museum with curated art and furniture. “Rather than put it on a flyer, we did something that was great for the artists, great for furniture makers,” says Isaacson, noting the home sold the first day to art dealers from Minneapolis.

Today Isaacson is forging ahead, aiming to put down even deeper roots in Portland neighborhoods. This past fall, she bought a 7,000-square-foot warehouse on Northeast Alberta that she is renovating into three retail storefronts and a new 3,000-square-foot office for Living Room, which will vacate its current office across the street. Living Room’s Southeast Portland location, which Isaacson leases, opened in 2012.

Isaacson is also adding client services, such as hosting workshops on first-time home buying for women and building accessory dwelling units. A modern-design aficionado, she is also an outspoken advocate for small, green and alternatively designed houses.

Collectively, these initiatives anchor a real estate agency that reflects the Portland ethos: hip, urban and neighborhood-oriented. That ethos is a reflection of Isaacson, a glass/textiles artist and former lead guitar player for a girls’ punk band — who also has a knack for sales and customer service.

“I struggled for a long time, as an artist and musician, that I’m a realtor,” says Isaacson. “It just wasn’t cool. Then I owned it. This is what I do and I’m going to do it well. I put great people in neighborhoods and help the community thrive.”